Tsunami☆

Abstract 

Tsunami is a fictionalized, based on the true story of a mother and baby patients who attended my rural clinic for 12 months and disappeared. (All personal identifiers have been removed.)

It is a story of a family physician trying to establish trust relationship with a young mother, that her past history and living conditions make it almost impossible for her to raise a baby. The narrative describes the struggle of the clinic staff to help the mother to keep a safe and healthy environment for her baby, and their failure to maintain open communication and support for the young mother, until the inevitable end.

Keywords: Doctor–patient communication, Rural medicine, Well-baby care, Child neglect, Mother and child care, Patient safety, Home visit, Baby at risk